The good

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded Iowa a total of $1.1 million. This gift will help public housing agencies to retain or hire service coordinators who work directly with families that participate in HUD's Housing Choice Voucher program. The program helps its recipients find employment resources and job training opportunities to put them on a path toward self-sufficiency. "In today's economy, it's never been more critical to help families obtain the skills that lead to jobs," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. Now if there were only jobs to be had.

Winning isn't everything, and apparently junior varsity runner Josh Ripley of Andover, Minn., was the only competitor in the Applejack Invitational 2-mile race who realizes that. Ripley was in the middle of the first mile when he heard a loud scream and turned to find a competitor on the ground holding a bloody ankle. Most of the other competitors didn't pay much attention to Lakeville South runner Mark Paulauskas, who was writhing in pain at the time, as they passed by. Ripley didn't have to stop, but he did. And instead of running back and calling for help, he carried Paulauskas a half-mile back to coaches and family members before returning to the track to finish the race. When Paulauskas arrived at the hospital, doctors realized he had been spiked by another runner's shoe during the race. He received 20 stitches and a walking boot. Talk about an incredible example of sportsmanship.

The bad

Don't you just hate it when you've look everywhere, but you can't find your meth? In Michelle Cheatham's case, it was because her crystal meth was stolen… by her 5-year-old son. The boy brought a bag of crystal meth and a crack pipe for show-and-tell at a rural Missouri school on Sept. 6. The school superintendent said the boy was "very excited" when he got to school, but school officials didn't realize what the child had brought. Before class, a teacher recognized the drugs and pipe and police were called. The drugs never entered the classroom, officials said. The boy's mother, Michelle Cheatham, 32, was later arrested on drug charges and released on bail.

Spoiled teenagers throw fits because they can't have things they want. But once they hit adulthood, such childish tantrums should end. Chicago resident Robert Lyons, 39, went far beyond a teenage tantrum, though, when he allegedly murdered his mother after an argument last week. According to police, Lyons began arguing with his mother when she refused to call a friend to arrange concert tickets for him. The concert Lyons was so determined to see — teenybopper Avril Lavigne. After his mother refused to call, Lyons stabbed her nine times in the back and then poured insecticide and drain cleaner all over her body. Lyons was found guilty of first-degree murder. We only have one question for him, "Why you have to go and make things so complicated?"

The ugly

How sick and selfish can one person be? Texas native Debra Flowers Haggerty, 55, was arrested after she had sex with a 12-year-old boy. But that's not the worst part — Haggerty is HIV positive! According to police, Haggerty molested the boy at her sister's home and potentially exposed him to a "deadly weapon" with her saliva. Officials say the two were inside the house when Haggerty unzipped the boy's pants and engaged in oral sex. Fortunately, the boy has been checked out and has no signs of HIV — yet. Haggerty was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child.

Remember when we used to help our fellow humans when they were in trouble? Now, it seems, nobody cares. Last week, a Florida man was involved in numerous hit-and-run incidents. Police say a Honda Accord hit Jose Aviles-Vasquez, 53, as he was crossing the street. The driver of the vehicle stopped, called police and tried to help the victim, who was still alive. But as the driver waited for officials, Aviles-Vasquez, who was still laying next to the vehicle, was run over by five to eight more vehicles, which eventually killed him. None of the vehicles stopped, all fleeing the scene. CV